Lane closures on Coal Creek Parkway, between Forest Drive Southeast and Southeast 60th Street, will switch from the east side of the parkway to the west side beginning Wednesday, Oct. 23, as Olympic Pipeline continues pipe relocation in preparation for the City of Bellevue building the second half of a new bridge.

One lane on Coal Creek Parkway will continue to be open in each direction until the beginning of December, when all four lanes are scheduled to reopen. There will just be periodic lane closures, most likely during off-peak hours, until late February.

Olympic Pipeline will remobilize in late February to complete the remainder of its work, in preparation for the city's contractor to construct the east half of the bridge. At that time, traffic will again be reduced to one lane in each direction until the end of September 2014.

The 45-year-old Coal Creek culvert is deteriorating and needs to be replaced to keep the street safe for commuters that use this route each day. The project also includes construction of a pedestrian pathway that will run underneath the bridge and connect to the Coal Creek trail, giving pedestrians and hikers a safe way to cross the parkway; and creek restoration to improve salmon migration.

For the duration of the project, the city will make every effort to minimize potential delays for motorists using the parkway. However, drivers should expect some traffic delays and congestion, especially during morning and evening commutes.